Seminars were held all day on May 16, 2014 at the Interactive Day San Diego presented by the San Diego Ad Club, by top players in the online marketing field.

At the Optimization in the Emerging Content Ecosystem (Native Advertising) seminar Chris Rooke of Nativo, Darren Stordahl of Eset and Ryan Reid of Petco voiced their opinions on content marketing.  They said that you should think of your online messages as telling a story, that consumers are in control and you have to convert them to a purchase.

They said that brands need to be good at telling their stories and you need to find new ways to tell stories and figure out what to tell.

Things to consider when putting your marketing stories together.

•What are people already looking for?

•One of the most important things is research.

•Most evangelists don’t sell they just observe and make recommendations.

•Produce high quality content.

•Consider that everything is content-events, videos, user generated content–and repurpose that information.

•In the online world, advertising and editorial are now an aligned strategy.

At the Smart Data with Google’s Universal Analytics seminar, Adrian Vender of eFusion talked about how an inherent problem with web analytics is that people interact with multiple devices and so depending on what their device they’re using (work computer, mobile, ipad, home computer) they could be counted as four different people. With their new Universal Analytics the fundamental changes are in how they’re processing and collecting and tracking user data across all the devices they’re using.  Vender emphasized that correct data is good data.

User ID’s Track Customers Wherever They Go

They’ve figured out how to attach a user ID, a unique row id in your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, to track that individual’s media use throughout different devices without collecting specific information about that person like name or email address.  And, if retail stores purchase small computers for their doorways and cash registers, they can even track the user inside their store.

Callan Rush in her Magnetize Your Audience online webinar made some good points about why education based marketing makes a lot of sense to advertisers.  First she pointed out that trust is a real world problem.  Customers need to trust your product or service in order to make an online purchase.  She emphasized that if you give away information that customers can use, they’re more apt to trust you in the future when making a purchase.  This information supports the idea of a consistent marketing presence to grab the customer’s attention when they’re ready to buy, but now you might also consider an educational message.

Points To Consider When Implementing a Marketing Plan

Following are points to think about when implementing a marketing plan and when considering search based advertising campaigns.  These percentages are online habits of customers.

•3% are actively shopping for you or your product/service.

•7% are open to buying your product/service.

•30% are unconscious about why they need you or your product.

•30% are a no. They have a problem but aren’t ready to buy.

•30% are aware for a future purchase.

The questions started for me when I compared Google Analytics traffic with Wassup traffic, a widget on WordPress that tracks all the numbers coming to websites.  Was all the traffic appearing on Wassup actual humans and why weren’t the people who had made comments on my site showing up as traffic on Google Analytics?

Later I was having a discussion with two TV sales representatives about online impression discrepancies and they were saying that they were also challenged with the reporting of traffic on their site. One advertiser had placed ads on their TV website and had their own tracking which differed from the numbers the TV station was showing.  Now, the advertiser was telling them they owed them impressions.  So, who was correct?  There was probably a middle ground.

Evaluating Media Expenditures

Media buyers evaluate the value of an advertising unit by looking at how much the ad costs against how many people in the target audience are being reached. Traditional mediums like TV and radio have relied on outside market research firms Nielsen and Arbitron to substantiate their numbers.

Nielsen Net Ratings and ComScore

Third party market research for online assets is available through Nielsen Net Ratings and ComScore but an industry standard really hasn’t been implemented or demanded by buyers.  It’s usually expensive for a medium to purchase ratings for their outlet and generally if they don’t report well they probably don’t want the buyer to know that.  Thus, I believe the low cost per thousands (cpms) many online servicers are offering are probably not as good of a deal as what has been presented. Advertisers are now just waking up to that fact.

Balanced Media Plans

I’ve always been an advocate of balanced media schedules and think online is important part of it but one of the things to look for when you’re placing any media dollars is to make sure you do your research. Don’t just go by what the outlet is telling you they’re getting, find out for yourself.  Demand that they supply you with good research and make your comparisons.  You just may have some negotiating power that way.

Causes for Fraudulent Traffic

What might be causing extra traffic?  Bots.

While I was pondering this topic, I stumbled upon a recent Wall Street Journal article titled, A ‘Crisis’ in Online Ads: One-Third of Traffic Is Bogus

Wall Street Journal Article Reports on Issue

Here’s a link to the story Wall Street Journal

Here’s a quote from the article, “When you bundle bots, clicks fraud, viewablity and the lack of transparency [in automated ad buying], the total digital-media value equation is being questioned and totally challenged,” says Bob Liodice, chief executive of the Association of National Advertisers trade group. Advertisers are beginning to question if they should increase their digital ad budgets, he says.

It goes on to say that they are estimating fraudsters have stolen $6 billion dollars in the US alone. 

Be Smart

As advertisers we need to get smart about how we’re spending online dollars and demand more accountability by the outlets offering product.  In its infancy, we might reason that we were all just trying to figure this new landscape out, but now that the dust has settled it’s time to make this medium legit.

With so many changes in the advertising business these days, and the witnessing of a “Do it Yourself” business mentality, I found this article from Ad Age worth considering.

Why Advertising Agencies Aren’t Going Away Any Time Soon by Al Ries.

Get Yourself Out Of The Way And Save Some Money Too

Oftentimes, when we’re too close to our own brand, we can’t see the mistakes we’re making.  This morning I had a potential home improvement new business meeting and asked the question, “Why wouldn’t the customer just go to Home Depot for these items?”  Unless there’s a compelling message in the ad to explain to me, as a consumer, why I should take an extra step to go to a store that seems similar to Home Depot most likely the ad won’t urge me to take an action.  Often, you need someone to give you an objective view that’s not part of your organization.  Also, sometimes the idea that you save money if you do it yourself is wrong thinking.  I’ve taken countless “Do it Yourself” plans and saved money for the customer while getting paid myself.

A Well Thought Out Plan

Beyond dollars well spent, think of the value of a well thought out plan behind your efforts.  If “Do it Yourselfers” don’t have a marketing background, a lot of times the first or second time a good sales pitch comes in, the marketing dollars get spent even though there could have been better options. Consider a well thought out plan as the infrastructure for your advertising efforts and stay the course so you’ll see the results.

Saving money and a plan too.  Sounds like a good idea to me even if idea generation is not enough in itself.

Read Ad Age article

In a 2013 study, The San Diego Radio Broadcasters Association listed the following categories as the top radio advertisers.
Category                                             % Total Market Revenue

1. Auto Dealers                                               15.8

2. Financial Services                                       9.0

3. Communications                                         6.3

4. Restaurants                                                  5.0

5.  Grocery/Convenience Liquor Stores      4.7

6.  Insurance                                                     4.6

7.  Television/Cable Providers                      4.4

8.  Healthcare                                                   4.4

9.  Education                                                     4.1

10.  Casino/Lottery                                          4.0

Blogging at Poway Adult School. Call 858-668-4024 or click below to register. This is a beginner course to get you started blogging. Click here.

Class Description

Make your mark on the web now! “Blogs have burst onto the content scene,” says David Meerman Scott author of The New Rules of Marketing and Public Relations. This class will introduce you to blogging using the WordPress platform. Blogs are websites that allow you to quickly build a presence on the Internet. You will leave the class knowing how to build a fully functional blog to share with family and friends or help establish yourself as an expert in your field.  The last class will be open lab time to work on your blog.
SKILLS NEEDED: Operating system and Internet basic skills.

Monday 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm; 3 sessions starting February 24, 2014, ending March 10, 2014 (No class on Jan 20)
Tuition: $49.00
Instructor: Roberts
Location: Poway Adult School , Rm. PAS 601

Low Cost Ways to Promote Your Creative Project at San Diego Writer’s, Ink.  Click here to register.

Class Description

Not a lot of money to promote your creative projects? That’s OK!
How can you get exposure for your writing project when there are so many books, online resources and blogs out there?  Do you have the challenge of a non-existent promotion budget or a very small amount of funds to work with?
You can create exposure and awareness for your masterpiece if you’re willing to take the steps and time to overcome these challenges.
This class will discuss action steps you can implement now to create a winning strategy. We’ll talk about ways to establish a niche for your piece and begin the process of mapping out a plan of action.  Low cost and free media opportunities will be discussed and there will be time for brainstorming ideas with each other.

Sunday, March 22, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. $30.

Right now you can enjoy San Diego Museum Month, sponsored by Macy’s, February 1-28, 2014!You receive half-off entry fees at 44 San Diego Museum Council membership museums.

With a pass, up to four visitors can gain admission to any of the 44 participating museums for half-price. Plus, you can use the pass all month long!  Click here for more information.

The biggest thing on TV right now is the winter Olympics.  San Diego’s local NBC 7/39 station has been #1 in most dayparts beyond morning news and daytime.

For years we’ve been informing clients of the power of continuing with traditional media as well as adding online exposure to their media campaigns. We might sound like a broken record here, but we believe all the new digital options are a great add on but were not meant to replace other forms of media in your campaigns. As SmartBrief reported on January 14, 2014, “Consumer Trust Remains Highest in Traditional Media”. The consumers, your customers, are making a strong statement that the content and ads they get from traditional media outlets are the most reliable sources of information for them. Here’s how the research breaks out in terms of the ads they trust. Research is based on a Nielsen study, a top media research company.

•”Newspaper advertisements remain the most trustworthy form of paid media in North America. 63% of respondents say they trust newspaper ads.”

•Magazine ads were ranked as 62% trustworthy.

•TV ads were ranked at 61%.

•Radio ads came in at 58%.

•”No digital product broke the 50% barrier, with search and online video coming in at 44%.”

Popcorn Press & Media’s stance on allocating media budgets is to include multiple forms of media and establish budgets based on your target audience’s interest while paying attention to research such as this. Let us know how we can help you.